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Monday, December 20, 2010

Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron issued the following statement on the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that has prevented gay and lesbian Americans from serving openly in the military:

The long-overdue repeal of the military’s reprehensible “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is a heartening step forward in our nation’s progress toward a society unequivocally rooted in fairness and equality for every citizen. There must never be a place in our laws for officially sanctioned discrimination, and this action will help wipe away the stain of a policy that has done so much damage to tens of thousands of patriotic men and women who only sought the right to serve honorably in the nation’s armed forces. We strongly urge President Obama and the military leadership to certify with all possible speed that the new policy is ready to be implemented and announce that during the interim period all discharges and investigations will be suspended.

The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a great moment for our country as one more bastion of discrimination falls away and we come closer to the day when the full promise of American liberty is made available to each and every American. There remains much work to be done, but this action is an important step forward, and the Congress and the President are to be commended for their courageous action on behalf of gay and lesbian service members, their families, and the nation as a whole.